Ever notice that some folks complain about this and that and ask for suggestions, but when offered possible solutions, prefer complaining instead of changing?

One friend complains all the time about not having enough money. Yet, she and her spouse smoke, drink, and do not plan for anything. With Christmas coming up instead of hitting the grocery store when the paycheck came, they didn't. Christmas Day came she and she wondered what store was open since they had invited a sibling over for dinner. Each Christmas is a stress because they don't have the money she wishes she had and although I have suggested she open a Christmas Club so they would have something saved, she informed me that is old fashioned, and unnecessary. Often they are out of money before the next paycheck comes in. Any suggestions that have been made on saving money is argued that she already knows how to live with little money. Yet, about every other week is another complaint of being broke.

Another person I know complains about having little money and how the house payments are killing them. When I hinted that we save money by not eating out as much and cutting our spending a snarky remark was made that DH and I have plenty of money. If I came out and said point blank that they should curtail their spending, it would result in hateful words. So, the complaints go on.

Another couple we know eat out at least once a day. Spending is fast and furious, yet there is a gripe that there isn't enough money and a bigger home equity loan is sought.

And yet another couple complains about not having enough money. They too eat out all the time. Every single thing is put on credit cards and we are ridiculed because when we do go out, DH pays with cash. Don't get me wrong, we use credit cards for certain things, but they are paid off each month. These folks are always talking about how they are broke.

One thing these folks all have in common besides the obvious of not having enough money is they are big complainers and instead of taking measures to try and alleviate some spending, they gleefully spend and then gripe. Guess it takes less effort to complain than actually do. I guess this makes me sound kind of cruel, but after awhile, it gets tiresome. I no longer give advice if asked because it is a waste of time.

I have enjoyed my holiday break. Today was a busy day at our home, DH wanted a new watch for Christmas. We had a Christmas Club so I had a good budget. He really wanted one that is solar charged and I bought him one. So today we took it so he could get links removed so the band would fit. While there, I had the band replaced on mine that was a few years old. It was ready to break so I figured it would be a good investment.

We dropped some things to a local food pantry. They not only take food but also clothing and kitchenware. We had some clothes to donate and kitchenware...how I wound up with so many muffin tins is beyond me. We also had a turkey we got free and it was far too big for the two of us. The only thing that irritated me was seeing some if the clients who were waiting for the pantry to start calling numbers for food boxes were outside smoking. I wanted to say maybe you'd have more money for food if you weren't smoking, but I kept quiet. One of the things we like about this place is the clothing and kitchen stuff are given to clients. They do a lot of good.

DH had received a Target gift card so he wanted to stop and see if they had a DVD or CD he wanted. He looked around and finally decided he didn't want anything. I looked at Christmas cards, but I didn't buy any. I really hoped to find some that weren't made in China. I may be looking for a needle in a haystack, so to speak. We then went to Kohls. DH had Kohls cash. He found a shirt on clearance for that. We walked around the mall a little for some exercise. We did see some people we knew so they was good,

We had meal #4 of ham. DH said said he was "hammed out." So, I put the remainder in the freezer to be revisited at a later time. Last night I had roasted a chicken for something different so tonight I used the broth, leftover chicken, and leftover roasted vegetables from Christmas and made chicken stew for lunch tomorrow. I had baked cornbread for Christmas and we finished it up tonight. I still have some honey wheat bread I baked for dinner Sunday so I think I am going to put olive oil on it and toast it to serve with the stew. I am trying to use up what we have and not waste food.

We were going over our finances and since we have curtailed our eating out, we are seeing more money in the bank account. One of the ladies from church was at the mall and we were talking about how much money one saves by planning meals and creating a grocery list. She said her husband takes a loaf of bread, peanut butter, and some jelly to work. For his mid morning break, he toasts a piece of bread and puts a little peanut butter and jelly on it. She said that often his coworkers tell him how much better his toast looks and smells than what they bought out of the vending machine. As she said, it just takes some planning.

I struggle often with do I spend too much or too little? Am I deserving of nice things, or should I do without?

I grew up with parents who were frugal. They had to be. They grew up during the depression and although both worked hard, they never really made a lot of money. More often than not, most of my thinks were used. Don't get me wrong, I did get some new things, but unlike many of my peers, most of my things were what we call recycled nowdays.

I went through a stage in my life where I only wanted new things. I would wait and save and scrimp until I could afford them.

But, as a I age, whether it is new or used doesn't seem to have the significance anymore. In fact, I kind of like buying something really nice that has been used thinking I got a good deal.

Last night we had an early Christmas dinner with my brother and his wife. Most of the things on my table had been purchased preowned. The plates and glasses were bought at flea markets. The table cloth was bought at an antique shop. The centerpiece was picked up at a flea market. The napkins were purchased at a garage sale. All but one of the trivets were bought at resale places. I thought it made a pretty table setting with the blue and white dishes. I thought about putting out Christmas linens, but figured since my dishes are blue and white, why not go with the theme?

I enjoyed using my things. After all, if they had been purchased brand new, I might have worried if we spilled something on them. They just seemed like old friends we could relax with. If something is spilled or stained, well, so be it. We could enjoy the company and the food.

I still sort of struggle with things...but I will say I enjoyed using many of them last night. I think many people save their tablecloths for good or their cloth napkins for company. We use them all the time. I don't have fine china...we have the same dishes we use day to day. Some have become chipped, but I'm not a fancy person, so unless it means hurting someone, I keep using them. I think I have saved quit a bit of money buying used things and I have enjoyed using these items.



Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

I have our menu for Christmas figured out...it is pretty tame and doesn't differ too much from year to year:

Ham (bought at Aldi)
scalloped potatoes (potatoes, onions, and cream bought at Aldi)
green beans (Aldi)
peas (Aldi) -- hubby doesn't like peas and I do so I'll be having two vegetables
cornbread

We will have leftovers for supper and then ham for other meals. I'm not sure what we will have for dessert yet. Maybe I'll bake a cake.

We have been eating at home quite a bit and it is amazing how much money we have been saving. We used to go out for brunch after church, but since we live so close to church, decided to just come home. Fixing scrambled eggs and toast and a breakfast meat isn't difficult and since I always make a large container of fruit salad for the week, having that with the brunch, makes it reasonable and easy.

It's kind of damp and gloomy tonight so I think we are having chili tonight. DH doesn't mine routines and we've been having chili on Sundays lately since the weather turned cool. I guess that is why he likes having ham and scalloped potatoes for Christmas.

So, what's on your Christmas menu?

We were talking about food and grocery shopping at work the other day. One teacher asked me earlier this year for some easy, reasonably priced recipes. I shared them and she has had success with them.

Anyway, I was talking about how I try to use leftovers if I can go save money. For example, we have been having sausage patties on Sunday for brunch. We usually have a few leftover. Last week I took the leftover sausage and put it an egg strata. This week I will put it with macaroni and cheese. One person sort of turned up her nose and said I was cheap. Using leftovers?

Maybe I am cheap, but I like to think I am saving money and. Of wasting food.

A couple of weeks ago DH and I went to Springfield to venture into a couple of antique malls. We collect Blue Willow dishes and we like to see if there are any good deals out there.

Most of the items we purchase really aren't antiques. I tend to buy things that have already been used because I can usually get them more reasonably.

Anyway, I saw this nice black leather purse. I checked it out and it was in mint condition -- no scratches or tears and the inside was pristine. It was $8. It had three sections and had sturdy straps. DH said it looked like a deal. So, I bought it.

This purse piqued my interest. It had a name plate and I looked it up on google and it is a name brand that is sold by Macy's and Nordstrom's for between $200-400. So, I really felt like I got a deal!

A gal I work with is always talking about her name brand purses and how much they cost. So, I asked her how she liked mine. She went on and on about how great it was and wanted to know where I got it and how much. She is certainly one who has to have the name brand and the prestige of buying it at a fancy store. I finally admitted I bought it for $8 at an antique mall. She suddenly lost interest.

She has made a couple of derogatory remarks about my $8 purse. It doesn't bother me for a number of reasons. I didn't buy the stupid thing to impress anyone, I bought it because I liked it and it seemed like a well made purse for a reasonable price. And I certainly didn't buy it for the name because until I googled it, I was blissfully unaware of this name brand.

And, knowing this gal is deep in debt and is always after the next brand item makes feel realize there's something missing in her life that her buying isn't filling.

So, I feel I am a winner...saved money and found a practical item.

We tried a new recipe tonight. Saw it in a magazine and I changed it to fit our needs, but it was meant to use up leftover turkey. So, I kept the name, but thought since Thanksgiving is coming up, maybe some of you would like to try it.

Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole
Preheat oven to 350.
4 cups seasoned dressing
4 cups cubed cooked turkey
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
½ cup chopped onion
¼ cup flour
4 eggs
3 cups 2% milk
1 can (8 ¼ oz) cream style corn
½ t salt
½ t pepper
1 T butter
Layer the first 4 ingredients in a greased 13 x 9 baking dish. In a large bowl whisk the flour, eggs, and milk until smooth. Add the corn, salt and pepper and mix well. Pour over stuffing mix. Dot with butter.
Bake covered 30-35 and uncover and bake 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.


The original recipe also had a can of peas and a cup of cranberries. DH likes neither.

I made this for supper tonight and DH loved it.There was plenty leftover for lunches and overall, it isn't super expensive to make and DH claimed it was very filling. I did use up some leftover turkey from the other night.

All last year we had been saving regularly in our Christmas Club. Since it is the first of November, it was time to get our money. We had over $1600.

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to go to Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg -- bus trip with the credit union where we have the Christmas Club -- $30 each. That is incredibly reasonable for a 170 mile (one way) trip.

DH has been scouring the ads and checking this and that. He knew what he wanted...a new suit for church. He saw one at our Penney's, but not in his size. The great thing was it was marked down a bit yesterday, so he got a suit and a new shirt and I still have quite a bit of money left.

Some friends asked how we could afford to just go and buy something like that and pay cash. I said because we saved all year. In fact, I just wrote a check for next year's Christmas Club tonight. Got to be regular and start saving.

We did some other shopping for other folks and other than a couple of things I need to get closer to Christmas, I think my shopping is done. I usually make baskets with goodies for many of my friends. We are at the point in our lives the last thing we need is more stuff. But food is always a good gift. I have most of the ingredients bought for my Christmas basket food making other than stuff like eggs. I have been finding baskets and found some beautiful napkins to put in them.

Oh, we and splurged! We bought some Godiva chocolates to enjoy in the next few days. Expensive, but rich, and paid for!

It's been a wild week so far at school. Not that it is bad, but I have come home very tired.

Tonight on my short drive home I thought, boy, a nice hot pizza sounds good for supper. Bet DH would go for that!

But, alas, I had already planned and had a chicken and dressing casserole in the fridge waiting to be baked.

Pizza sounded better to my tummy, but the casserole was better for the wallet.

We had the casserole. :-)

Dear Abby in her column yesterday had a letter about the home selling parties and how the writer should just say they had other plans! So between the comments made on my previous blog and her column, I feel I have had some validation.

Weather in Central Illinois the past couple of days has been, to say the least, interesting! On Thursday we had a high of 80-82 depending on which weather forecast you listened to. It was warm, whatever the thermometer listed. Yesterday it dropped to the low 40s and we had a little shower of ice pellets. Yikes! Can't say it is boring, anyway.

One of the ladies I work with told me that the people who eat lunch with me always are interested in what I bring for lunch. I kind of laughed and said, "Really?"

She smiled and said it was because I bring such good leftovers. She said the other day I was the envy of the table for my homemade mac and cheese. I'm wondering if this could be a new business for me...making lunches ... after all, Paula Deen started this way! :-)

One of our local grocery stores reopened as a County Market. As a result they had some great specials for "loyal" customers also received a postcard with 6 coupons..white bread for 49 cents, 12 double rolls of tp for $4.99, 4 bourbon marinated pork chops for $2, 4 lbs of sugar for $1.49, Cheerios for 99 cents. Wow, what a fun grocery trip. They also sent out their monthly coupon booklet and had other stuff on special like bananas for 39 cents.

Well, I feel a little like a hoarder because any of the items I could get 2 of, I did. I only used the store special coupons on stuff I normally would get, and I used regular coupons on some of the stuff too, so felt like I saved some money.

It was nice to feel "appreciated" with the extra savings.

Saturday the group we toured with this summer to the east coast had a get together to view the movie the leader so graciously put together and then to eat some snacks.

One of the ladies asked me why I stopped putting what I was fixing for supper on Facebook. I told her because I was getting verbally abused for it. She laughed and said she missed it.

I had been kind of kidded about it -- I started it as a joke. A couple of the local restaurants that I "liked" on Facebook were putting their daily specials on their walls, so I said I would join in and put mine on my wall. A couple of folks kind of got grouchy about it. Most either said it sounded good or asked when was meal time.

Well, the gal insisted I start, so I did. It's been interesting to see the comments. This gal said she liked seeing it because it gave her ideas on fixing things.

I guess that is sort of like this site -- we blog and post replies and it makes us think. Maybe we think about menus or finances or just get challenged to think about something either we didn't or hadn't broached before.

So, although we often think of menus as associated with food, I think we can also think of our writings as a menu of thoughts.

This week was the first official week for students, although staff started school the Thursday before.

Last weekend I cooked a chicken in the slow cooker and made two casseroles and chicken stew. That took care of three suppers and a few lunches. I also fixed a beef roast one evening -- DH nicely put it in the oven -- and I had sloppy chicks last Sunday so the leftovers were DH's lunch one day. So, with this, I counted I fixed supper 6 out of 7 nights. We met friends last night at a reasonable place and I had salad bar and water so it wasn't super expensive.

I mentioned that I was tired, but kind of pleased that I didn't succumb to eating out and the hubby of the couple looked at DH and said he needed to help out more. I think he was kidding because although DH is a wonderful husband, he simply isn't handy when it comes to cutting, chopping, etc. He can put something in the oven or heat it on the stove or in the microwave.

So then the friend said we needed to eat out more. I guess he just doesn't get it. I cook for two reasons: it is more reasonable and I control what we eat. I know that sounds like I'm an ogre, but at most places, you have no idea what they are putting in their food or on their food. We used to eat at a restaurant that boasted all their pasta was fresh. I guess they thought opening a box was fresh. Not in my book. True fresh pasta is not dried or frozen.

Well, as I'm sitting here, I'm waiting for the pie crust to cool down so I can put the makings of quiche in it for our supper tonight.

Here's the easiest quiche recipe:

1 pie crust (homemade or store bought)
3 eggs
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Optional -- browned meat like sausage or bacon
roasted vegetables
herbs

Often if I have leftover roasted vegetables, I will add them to the quiche. Since I'm starting over for the week, I will just serve it with a green salad. But, you can add whatever you want.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until it is solid.

Take out of oven and let it sit for a few minutes before serving.

Depending on the serving size, you can get 3-6 servings.

So, another day of saving a few coins by not eating out!

DH loves to garden. He has a very small vegetable garden in our front yard due to the fact our back yard is heavily shaded.

With the drought (sorry, I keeping bringing it up)we weren't sure how well his tomatoes were going to do. We are currently under water restrictions so he can only water three days a week and if we don't get any rain in the next week, that will be cut too.

So, on those three days he waters deeply hoping with the 90+ degree days (they are anticipating 100 or more today), the plants will survive.

We didn't think we would have enough tomatoes for me to make sauce this year. In the past, he plants both cherry tomatoes and then regular tomatoes and when both ripen at the same time, I use the cherry tomatoes to make sauce. In the past, I've been able to freeze some of it for the winter, besides using some of it.

Well, this week we had a bonanza of both tomatoes, so I could make a pot of sauce. My recipes changes based on what I have on hand, but I start out with diced onions and bell peppers and saute them. Then add the tomatoes and cook down and added lots of basil and then some garlic. I then pureed the mixture for a smooth consistency.

It made for a thrifty supper...I cooked some pasta and added some of the tomato sauce for our meal that evening. With the heat, we didn't want a whole lot. With bread and butter and some cottage cheese as a side dish, it was filling. It also made our kitchen smell wonderful.

I had some of the pasta and sauce left over so last night I had a piece of chicken left over so I chunked it and browned it, and cut up vegetables that were in the crisper, and made chicken stew. I had broth in the freezer. I simmered all of this and then added the leftover pasta and tomato sauce. That will make a good meal one evening this week.

It's been so hot lately here in Central Illinois. Friday was cool with the temps in the upper 80s...it made us almost feel chilly! :-)

I know some of our friends are beating the heat by eating out. I don't want to succumb to that temptation. So, I've been perusing the Crockpot recipes to try and find some things that I can fix that won't heat up the kitchen.

Yesterday I put ribs in one slow cooker, but wondered what to fix. We have mashed potatoes and rice already so I wondered if I could find a recipe for a Crockpot.
I did find one that cooked between 6-8 hours on low and it was pretty good.

Oregano potatoes

8 potatoes peeled and sliced into wedges
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup water
3 T Oregano (fresh), chopped
juice of 1 lemon
3 cloves of garlic, minced

Combine all ingredients except garlic in a slow cooker -- mix until evenly coated. Stir in garlic. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. If potatoes appear to be dry, add up to 1/2 additional water while cooking.

Serves 6-8


This was pretty good and I had everything on hand. We have fresh herbs. I bet this could be changed up using a different herb.

So, I resisted the temptation of eating out and saved money and used what I had.

We went to the library and I checked out some more cookbooks for the slow cooker. Hopefully I will find some other great recipes as we endure this heat.

I'm going to 'fess up here...I feel guilty spending money on luxuries. I like a bargain, but I like nice things as well.

DH is retired. We are blessed he has a nice pension and Social Security. I work full time and have a good job and benefits.

We just returned from an 8 day trip to Philadelphia, New York, Boston, and Niagara Falls. It was with a church group on a bus. Our hotels and tours were paid for, as well as some of the meals. We had saved the money and paid cash for everything except for one expenditure of $20. We had cash left over from the trip and put it back in the bank. DH bought a tie in Boston -- hence the $20 charge because they were closing down the register and didn't want cash. He bought 3 ties for $10 in NYC. I bought 4 packages of tea in Boston as a souvenir for friends (read less than $10) and postcards in each major city. We had a nice time and I'm glad we don't owe any money other than the $20.

Once a month we have massages. I rationalize them that they seem to help my arthritis. I don't see a chiropractor, but I do know I feel a lot better after. DH says the same thing. It is paid in cash each month.

I spend money on fruits and vegetables when I grocery shop. Very little ever goes to waste because we eat at home quite a bit. I try to hit bargains on other things.

I collect Blue Willow dishes. I did buy a couple of items and put them on the credit card, but I pay the credit card off every month.

Sometimes I look at the money we spend and feel guilty. I don't need Blue Willow dishes. I'm sure I could make it without the massages. As for the trip, life would go on without it. I validate the buying of fresh fruits and vegetables because I think it keeps me healthy. I only missed work this year because I had food poisoning, not from my food.

We have friends who constantly spend on things. They tell us they deserve these things. He draws a larger pension than DH. His home is not paid for. For years, when he worked, he made far more money than DH and I did put together. He bought a bigger house, a fancier car, and more things. His home is filled with them. He bought fancy jewelry for his wife. And the quest continues for buying more, more, more.

A few years ago we paid off our home. It was a goal that we had -- we intended to pay off the house before DH retired. His mom died and with the selling of her property (shared with his brother) we paid off the remainder of our home. We then used the money we didn't need for the house payment to pay off a vehicle. So, we didn't owe much money and started saving money. Then we could take a big trip like we did this year.

I cut corners whenever I can. I use coupons on the things we would normally buy; I make a lot of things from scratch. We buy used whenever we can. We pay cash for everyday items so we aren't tempted to overspend. If I do use the credit card, it is paid off as soon as the bill comes.

I still feel guilty when we do spend money, but I guess it could be called a guilty pleasure. Perhaps saving up for things is one of the reasons we save...but sometimes it is difficult to spend that hard earned money!

Our pantry and freezer appear to be pretty full. I thought I would try to start using some of the stuff in both before going back to the store.

I used the last of the potatoes last night for mashed potatoes. I have kept leftover potatoes -- mashed and roasted-- so I thought I'd make potato soup for some lunches. I diced onion and celery and cooked them down in some olive oil. I then added some broth and then the leftover potatoes. When the mashed potatoes dissolved making the broth thicken, I then added about a cup of milk and heated it. Since all the potatoes were already cooked, I didn't have to simmer. This morning in another pot I made a small white sauce of butter and flower in another pot, added the potato soup and it thickened. It was pretty good for lunch with a sandwich and we have enough for another lunch too.

Before I made the soup, I used some of the roasted potatoes cup up in a frittata with eggs, cheese, and some other leftover cut up vegetables. It was a pretty good supper too.

Tonight's supper is using chicken that was in the freezer for oven fried chicken, cornbread, and rice, with a salad.

Fortunately I keep a well stocked pantry or some of our meals could be inventive, but it is always nice using what we have that I probably bought on sale.

I love healthy, frugal eating!

Have you seen the new Maxwell House commercial where the main character is holding a glass mug and gives it to someone to replace a paper cup and says something along the lines of we are fully capable of brewing our own coffee at home?

Way to go, Maxwell House!

I take coffee with me when I go to work in a Thermos. At home, I fix it so I can enjoy it.

A gal I work with was bringing her coffee with her, purchased at the local gas station. She told me it was only 99 cents. I asked her how often she buys it and she says every day. She then moaned about how tight things could be on certain weeks. I mentioned that if she buys coffee 5 times a week that is a least $5 a week and $20 a month. I think the coffee is 99 cents and then tax so it is probably over a dollar. I try to snag my coffee on sale and I bet I don't spend $20 a month on coffee. And I brew it at least 6 times a week.

They don't call it the latte factor for nothing!

Ever hear the slogan that talks about those who don't remember the past are going to repeat it?

I think there is some merit in this so I have been reading online and books one ways to save time and money. I ran across this book at the library: "Simple Country Wisdom" put out by Country Living. It lists 501 ways to simply your life.

It was a good read. Some of the stuff I've read before or I knew, but some were totally new. And many were ways to save some money as well as use what we have.

In another note, a friend emailed me he was going to use up some the meats and vegetables he had left over to repurpose in another meal because I have inspired him. Guess frugality is spreading!

It may seem I am driving my hubby crazy. Well, maybe crazier, depending on one's opinion.

Each meal I've been cooking, I have tried to estimate what it cost to fix it. I'm not counting the power for the stove or how much refrigeration, but the cost of the ingredients.

Sunday after church I fixed eggs, sausage, potatoes, toast. Coffee for me, and iced tea for him. I figure at the very most the meal cost $6 when you add in the oil and the butter. A similar meal at a restaurant would have probably cost $17 or more. I realize they have overhead and wages to pay. But, I figure that is $11 we saved by eating at home. All in all, the meal took less than 15 minutes to cook.

Supper the other night was a little pricier...we had sloppy chicks (sloppy joes made with ground chicken), chips, fruit, and iced tea. I estimated it cost between $7 to $8 total. And we had leftovers! Enough for lunch the next day so I figure that lunch if we figured in the buns and the chips cost less than $3.

Tonight's supper was a little more expensive than yesterday's lunch -- we had spaghetti (bought on sale), ground turkey, homemade marinara sauce, biscuits (homemade with homegrown herbs), a salad (homegrown lettuce), cottage cheese, and fruit. I think our meal cost around $8. And, we have enough leftover of the spaghetti and biscuits for a lunch.

Sometimes I feel like I spend a ton of money at the store, but then I realize a lot of times, I'm buying stuff to stock the pantry. I try to get pasta on sale and I have been putting it on glass sealed containers or putting it in the freezer. We hit two stores last weekend and in total we spent less than $90. Only one meal we've had didn't include meat that we bought the on this weekend trip.

DH has a very small area for a garden -- our backyard is almost all shade -- so he had herbs in pots and he has planted bell pepper plants among his other fauna in the yard. He has 3 tomato plants, lettuce, radishes, and basil planted in the small garden like area. Someone asked him why he was doing this and he said because it helps me out when I cook and he enjoys eating like a king!

A gal I know was kidding me about the cooking -- she says it is too hard to cook at home and eating out isn't that expensive. I wonder if she could eat as cheaply as we do...we certainly aren't going hungry and I figure a little time in the kitchen means money saved for other things.

Another person we know said brewing tea for iced tea took too much work. During the winter I get the electric kettle out and make iced tea in glass pitchers using tea bags. I let it cool down before I put it in the fridge. This summer I've made "sun tea" as well as brewed it. Somehow putting a few tea bags in some water doesn't seem that hard and I know what is going into the tea...no artificial sweeteners.

One friend has complained how short of money he is...they eat out every single day...sometimes twice. I'm not against eating out -- it is a nice treat -- but when I look at how much it costs, cooking seems a bit more reasonable.

Something I have been reading up on is saving money reusing things. I wondered about those plastic tags that come on bread wrappers and produce bags. I ran across this site:

http://wholelivingdaily.wholeliving.com/2010/06/10-re-uses-for-those-little-bread-tags.html

I wonder if they really hold th socks together. It is worth a try, anyway.

I also noticed using one of the bags that produce come in to make a scrubber by putting a sponge inside.

We hit Aldi today and bought lemons and I have both a plastic tag and bag.

I just hate throwing stuff away that can be used from something.

Most of my friends have phones that do about everything. Until about 3 months ago, my phone was pretty ratty looking and I had to charge it about every night. It wasn't because it was one of those phones with everything, the phone was just about done for. I looked into battery replacement and concluded it was cheaper to get a new phone.

Have you been phone shopping lately? All the different things and how disappointed the sales person was when I said my cell was for making and receiving phone calls. Period. Tried to sell me a memory card for photos and this and that. I need this for a data plan. He wasn't a happy camper when I said I don't need a fancy plan...I don't text, don't send photos, and didn't plan on accessing the 'net.

Many of my friends were shocked. No texting? Really?

I explained that our phone plan is bare bones and I wasn't going to get a more expensive plan to text. DH wouldn't text nor would my brother so I cannot see the extra expense. Apparently my friends think I am nothing short of weird.


Being pragmatic, I can't see spending more for something that I am not interested in using. It's just one more expense and I would prefer to not spend money that way.

So, no smart phone for me...guess my phone is kind of dumb and I use it as a phone...make and receive calls...kind of unheard of, isn't it?

We had training today for Common Core reading. For those of you who don't know what that is, it is national standards for reading that most of the U.S. has adopted. Teachers normally do not get more than 30 minutes for lunch, so on training days, we often are allowed an hour.

I packed my lunch this morning -- a few leftovers and some fruit. My partner did the same. We were the only two left in the room as the mass exodus left to go purchase lunch.

I looked around when they came back. Many have complained how their money just doesn't go as far as it did or they have huge expenses...yet they thought nothing of going out for lunch.

When they came this morning, many brought their breakfast they had picked up or soda or coffee purchased. My old checkered Thermos almost seems out of place. One person was telling me what a deal it was for the soda they bought this morning on the way as I drank my home brewed coffee and then my Thermos of water after lunch.

It's a treat to go out -- I realize that, but tomorrow when we return, I bet many will treat themselves again to a hurried lunch and a thinner pocketbook.

I hit the library again and saw a cookbook with cooking with olive oil. It is a type of flatbread and I think one could serve it in place of cornbread. Other than the carbs, it appears to be pretty healthy:

Oatmeal honey bread



1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup quick cooking oats

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup honey

1 cup milk

1 egg

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil



Preheat oven to 400. Coat a 9 inch round or square baking pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Make a well in the center. In a separate bowl add the wet and whick. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir just until moistened.

Transfer batter to the prepared baking pan.



Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Can be served warm or cooled entirely.


We will be eating it with a few meals this week...fairly economical as far as bread goes too.

Friday night we watched the program on the new HGVT Green House. We enjoy seeing the new products out there and how people are trying to help the planet.

I had to chuckle when they kept acting so very self-righteous about reusing furniture and materials and shopping and flea markets and antique shops. They acted almost like it was their very own original idea!

Most folks who have to watch their pennies and even those who don't, but want to, reuse and repurpose things. When I look at my kitchen, so much of the stuff in it was bought used. Or, I inherited it from my grandmother.

We often go to antique shops. I not only like the idea of saving a little money, but the idea of buying something that was probably made in America so many years ago. I'm a little tired of all the cheaply made stuff from overseas.

It was just interesting how the commentators were singing the praises of repurposing things and how glorious it was like it was their very original idea. I think most of us reuse and repurpose if at all possible.

There's a little email making the rounds about an older lady going to the store and the cashier says something about your generation not understanding about going green because she hadn't brought her own bags. It was then pointed out how people used to buy soda in glass bottles and return them to be reused. I was thinking about all the canning that used to go on and people used and reused those canning jars for years!

I know HGTV has to sensationalize to keep the viewer interested, but some of us have been "green" in a lot of areas far longer than the network has been around.

I need to go and heat up the sloppy joes in my second hand pot and serve on my second hand plates. Just thought I'd give a few of my thoughts when it came to being green.

We had ham for supper. We originally had ham for Easter dinner. Then again for supper Sunday night. I had some for lunch on Monday as well as ham and eggs Monday. We ate it again tonight. Hubby had some for lunch too this week. I think we got our money's worth out of that $15 ham. Three meals Sunday noon; three meals Sunday supper. (We had a guest Sunday and then sent her home with some for her supper.) Supper Monday, lunch Monday, DH's lunch Tuesday, and then tonight...let's see 12 individual servings on one ham! I can honestly say I was glad to see the end of it for now, but I feel like we did pretty well...and it was economical.

Our weather has been weird! Living in the Midwest we didn't really have much of a winter...unseasonably warm! Then, the past few weeks it has been in the 70s and 80s and flowers are popping out, trees are blooming, grass is growing...DH has mowed twice already!

Normally one doesn't think about a hearty soup in this kind of weather, but fortunately DH likes soup year round. I had a meeting after school last night and wanted to get something fixed that we could have ready when I got home. I tried this new soup recipe and hubby took one bite and informed me it was a keeper!

Hearty Tomato Pasta Soup

1 lb bulk Italian sausage
6 cups beef broth
1 can stewed tomatoes (28 oz)
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
2 cups sliced zucchini
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped in small pieces
3/4 cup of pasta of your choice

I browned the sausage with the chopped onion. I sauted the vegetables in extra virgin olive oil. I then added the sausage to the vegetables then everything else and let it simmer for about an hour and a half. I added the pasta the last half hour and it cooked. It was whole wheat pasta so I figured I could add it that early. I think you could wait and add the other pasta later. I refrigerated it over night and heated it up when we got home. With crackers it was a very, very heart meal!

By fixing it ahead, it meant we weren't tempted to go out and there is enough left over for lunch!

OK, didn't mean to be sexist, but if I added "and guy's" it would make the title kind of cumbersome. Not trying to hurt any one's feelings.

I use mine quite often. Last night I put a whole chicken with some herbs and vegetables and water...woke up to a house smelling wonderful. It wasn't a huge chicken, but there is enough meat for two casseroles and chicken salad, and I froze some of the extra broth.

I've made vegetable soup in the past two weeks, and I tried a new pork chop and potato recipe last week.

I have 4 different ones, all different sizes. I just find myself blessed to have this wonderful piece of kitchen appliance world.

I believe by using a slow cooker, I've saved money. I use a lot of casseroles and by cooking chicken ahead instead of buying a rotissere chicken I've saved money. Plus, I control what goes on and in the cooker. I keep broth frozen and that's handy for many meals tool. Healthier and cheaper than buying stuff from the store.

I get excited when I see recipes for the slow cooker that I think I'd like to try.

Don't tell anyone, but I gave a little hug to the cooker when I put it away today after washing it.

Last night's supper totally blew the budget!

Actually, it wasn't totally unplanned. We were at the meat market and the steaks looked so good. So, we bought two so I could grill them. I realize if we had gone out to eat, the cost would have probably been triple. Yet, I sort of felt naughty.

I have been on spring break and we have had th opportunity to get put and about. We went antiquing on Monday. I put beef and barley vegetable soup on the slow cooker so we would have supper waiting for us when we got home. On Wednesday we drove to Iowa to see the American Pickers' Antique Archeology as well as look at antique shops and when we got home, I heated up the leftover soup and used the last of the meatloaf we had Saturday for sandwiches.

I usually try to figure out what a meal costs to see if we saved money. The steaks weren't exactly cheap. But, they were good and a treat.

Tonight it is back to common food..sloppy Toms -- like sloppy joes made with ground turkey breast. One pound with onion, bell pepper, mushrooms makes two meals. Guess that will help the budget!

It's been an interesting month or so. Each weekend after the grocery shopping and menu planning, I spend a few hours cooking things that I can reheat or bake or whatever so there is something waiting in the fridge when I get home. Therefore, I have no excuse to not cook and eat out.

I try to hit sales and either stock up on stuff or buy what is on special many times so our meals are reasonable.

Some of the folks I work with ask me what I've fixed or what I'm planning. A few times previously this year I've shared some of the stuff I've made with my coworker. She and her hubby seemed to appreciate it.

Well, she started looking at the grocery ads, planning her list, and cooking on the weekend. She told me today that she thinks they have really saved money by planning their menu as well as cooking things ahead of time.

A personal benefit is we have been exchanging casseroles the past few weeks. So, we not only are getting to try different recipes, we have a bigger assortment of foods available.

I think that is saving money for both of us besides letting us try new things.